"Please, come back to me."
"I never left."
***
Clara Carter, the troublemaker of Aerilon University. Someone who can make you fall for her looks and at the same time can make you reg...
Tyler and Ray stand there with huge grins on their faces and eyes full of joy and emotions. My eyes well up just by the sight of my best friends lovingly looking at me.
"You really thought we would bail on you?" Tyler says, opening his arms for me.
I laugh and run into his arms. We embrace into a tight hug, laughing but with tears in our eyes. Then I hug Ray. We stay like that for a few minutes. Remembering how much we missed one other throughout these months and regretting our decision to stay apart.
And no matter how hard we try, we can't pull off the 'I'm cool, we're cool' act. I love these two idiots and have missed them more than I can endure. When a tear falls on my cheek, I break the hug to wipe it away.
"Aw, I never knew you can cry," Ray mocks, forcing me to confront her with my teary, messed-up face.
I look at them with a smile on my face. They haven't changed much in the three months since I last saw them. Tyler's and Ray's appearances have become more serious and mature. The only difference is that Ray now has short hair over her shoulders-still blue-whereas I have long, thick curls that reach my waist.
"I'll go and change." I say, pointing to my dirty clothes. They both nod yes and scatter in my small apartment to evaluate the interior, arrangements, wall painting, and everything else.
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As I walk out of my room, I stop in the kitchen to get some beers before joining Tyler in my room. He's standing in front of the photo-decorated wall and table, as well as the mysterious crystal I've kept safe for all these years.
The intent stare he gained by the wisdom of four years watches the photo of the three of us that we took when we first became friends, in high school. I had to steal it from Ray's collection to keep it for myself. It was and still is one of my favorite memories.
"Special moment, huh?" Tyler sighs as he recalls our high school days. Looking at the photo, I put my hand on his shoulder.
"It is, indeed."
"Then why do you hide your other special memories?" I furrow my eyebrows, not understanding what he means.
He carefully pulls a frame from behind that photo of us-mine and Stefan's. Tyler had clicked that picture without us knowing.
The most beautiful and the only picture I had with Stefan.
The shot was taken on the day Stefan asked me out for the first time. He's hugging me from behind, both our eyes closed.
Tyler is a great photographer for capturing that moment from a side view.
I take my hand off his shoulder and turn away. That picture means a lot to me, and he knows it. I used to stare at it for hours.
"It's okay, Clara. I know, come here." He says, making me face him again and offering me a hug.
I shut my eyes close. When I initially moved to Caelfall, I used to cry just by looking at that photo. I considered throwing it away to put a stop to the emotional volcano that was rising inside of me.
